Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith yesterday revealed that a small group of attorneys has been entering prisons not to have discussions with their clients on court matters but to pass on information on hits, illegal drugs, state contracts and are even used as conduits for money laundering.
Such attorneys, Griffith said are being closely monitored as the T&T Police Service (TTPS) steps up its investigation to take action against them.
Griffith said he has asked for a meeting with LATT.
Joined by the TTPS’ head of legal Chris Chandler, Griffith was speaking on the Morning Brew programme, as he responded to the Law Association of T&T (LATT), who in a release on Sunday urged Griffith that if he has evidence that attorneys are assisting criminals in their activities, he should “hasten to lay charges against those errant attorneys.”
He said LATT should know there is a procedure the TTPS must follow before charges can be laid against anyone.
“There is something call information, intelligence and evidence.”
Griffith said certain attorneys have admitted, “that they see nothing wrong if they get hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from criminals elements. They say if the criminal elements receive this money illegally that is not their problem.”
So far, Griffith said certain attorneys have been red-flagged.
“We are monitoring them like hawks.”
Those under scrutiny, Griffith assured will face charges.
He asked LATT if “they know for a fact that we have the readouts of phone calls by criminals in the prison...and it’s littered...with 90 per cent of the calls being certain attorneys.”
Griffith said “there is an investigation ongoing” stating that no one is above the law.
He said from the minute he spoke about a “possible criminal elements in the Law Association they rush and do a release. That is not a democracy...that is hypocrisy. I am not here to make friends.”
The top cop warned LATT not to take medicine for other people’s fever.
He said a small percentage can be deemed as “lawyer criminals rather than criminal lawyers.”
Some attorneys, Griffith said use their position to “go into the prison to have dialogue with the individual not to defend them but to be able to pass on information as to hits, where drugs should be, who should be hired, what state contracts you should get or being used as a conduit for money laundering.”
Chandler said a handful of attorneys may have abused their process and crossed the line.
Having recently returned from an International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, Griffith said several top cops abroad expressed shock that a 19-year-old T&T citizen who was held with nine assault rifles in T&T had been granted bail.
LATT in their statement reminded Griffith that except in few specific cases, there is no such law which mandates that bail be denied just because of the seriousness of the offence.
Griffith said the rights of criminals should never override the rights of law-abiding citizens.
“If you notice the persons who have been very vociferous are those who defend the individuals who I have to arrest. You can’t just bury your heads in the sand and say, listen, we are an association and you must not say anything about us. Nobody made you king.”
President of LATT Douglas Mendes, SC, in a text message sent by Guardian Media, said he was yet to receive correspondence from Griffith about a desire to have a meeting.
“We will respond positively to any invitation by Griffith,” Mendes wrote.